1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for removing a liquid from a hard surface, for example for removing water, spilt oil or other liquids from floors, walls, car bodies, windows and other hard surfaces.
2. Prior Art
May, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,470, discloses an apparatus for removing liquid from a floor with a damp pad or cloth. The apparatus comprises a mopping roller enveloped by a mopping pad or a band-shaped mopping cloth which runs endlessly over rollers or from a first to a second spool, and bears on the working surface disposed underneath a mopping shoe or roller. The mopping roller and its enveloping mopping pad is intermittently advanced during the mopping process to bring a previously unused portion of the mopping pad into contact with the working surface at a preselected forward stroke.
Similar devices have been disclosed that are adapted to remove excess paint from a paint roller. Representative prior art devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,949 to Heniff, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,663 to Geary, U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,410 to Sprung et al., and Norwegian patent 112401. While the above devices are useful for removing excess liquid from an applicator, they do not expel sufficient liquid from the applicator pad to be efficiently operable for removing a liquid from a hard surface.